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TEACHING RESOURCE PACK

FOR ADDITIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES AND VIDEOS, PLEASE VISIT AMONSTERCALLSTHEPLAY.COM/LEARNING CONTENTS

Creative Team 3 Content by and with thanks to Susie Ferguson, Education Team, Synopsis 7 Michelle Kass Associates, Christopher Elmer-Gorry

Themes 9 Design MUSE

An Interview with Benji Bower, Composer 11 Production Photography MANUEL HARLAN Characters 13 Further details can be found at Classroom Activities 14 AMONSTERCALLSTHEPLAY.COM

Portraying Grief and Loss 23 f @AMONSTERCALLSPLAY Bibliography, Further Reading & Media 25 i @AMONSTERCALLSPLAY t @AMONSTERPLAY Glossary 26 Support 28

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 2 CREATIVECREATIVE TEAM TEAM

PATRICK NESS Author of ‘’ Original Idea is the multi-award winning author of Siobhan Dowd was born in 1960 to Irish parents. ten books for adults, young adults and children. Brought up in , she started her career A Monster Calls, inspired by an idea by the late working in for International Siobhan Dowd and which Patrick also adapted PEN, where she lead the Rushdie Defence for the screen (2016, starring Sigourney Weaver, Committee and was named one of the ‘top 100 Liam Neeson and Felicity Jones), is published in Irish-Americans’. On her return to the UK, forty languages. The first in his Siobhan co-founded English PEN’s readers trilogy is currently filming with director Doug and writers program and went on to serve as Liman (Bourne Identity) and starring Deputy Commissioner for Children’s Rights in (Spiderman) and (Star Wars). Patrick Oxfordshire. Siobhan only started to write herself has received numerous accolades for his writing, when she was invited to contribute a story to an including the Costa Children’s Book Award, anthology for children about racism. She went on Children’s Fiction Prize, and the to write four award-winning novels, celebrating Red House Book Award, and was the second the publication of A Swift Pure Cry and The London ever author to win the Carnegie Medal twice Eye Mystery but Bog Child and Solace of the Road and the first to win two years in succession. He were published posthumously. Waterstones had created and wrote the 8-part BBC only just named her one of the top ‘25 Authors spinoff Class and as a screenwriter has written of the Future’. She died in April 2007 aged just for Fox, Lionsgate, Heyday, Warner Brothers 47. In her final days Siobhan set up The Siobhan and Entertainment One. His latest book, And Dowd Trust to use the proceeds of her work to the Ocean Was Our Sky, was published to critical fund reading projects for children. acclaim earlier this year

SALLY COOKSON ADAM PECK Director Writer in the Room Sally Cookson trained at LAMDA and worked Adam is a playwright, dramaturg and librettist. as an actor for ten years before embarking on a He has been an Associate Artist at Old freelance directing career. Her credits Vic since 2013. Work includes the Olivier award- include The , The Witch and The Wardrobe winning A Monster Calls (The Old Vic); The (West Yorkshire Playhouse, ); Jane Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (Elliot Harper Eyre (/National Theatre); Peter Pan Productions and West Yorkshire Playhouse); the (Bristol Old Vic/National Theatre/Troubadour OFFIE-winning and Olivier Award-nominated White City). She is an associate artist at Bristol Cinderella: A Fairytale, 101 Dalmatians, Bonnie & Old Vic, where other productions include Sleeping Clyde ( ); Igloo, Sleeping Beauty, , The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Beauty, Medusa, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Minotaur, Papa Please Get the Moon for Me, Clown, Strange Only (Bristol Old Vic); Varmints (Sadler’s Wells); Case, Pericles, Pains of Youth and The Visit. Her Fagin’s Twist (Avant Garde Dance); the My First numerous collaborations with Travelling Light Ballet series (English National Ballet); Father theatre include Strictly Balti, The Ugly Duckling, Christmas (Lyric Hammersmith); Septimus Bean Boing!, How Cold My Toes, Shadowplay, Cloudland, & His Amazing Machine (). He Lenny and Bob the Man on the Moon. Other theatre is currently developing a new musical with John includes One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Ali O’Hara and Sally Cookson. Baba and the Forty Thieves, Cinderella: A Fairytale (Tobacco Factory Theatre, Olivier Award nomination); La Strada, Hetty Feather (Olivier Award nomination); We’re Going On A Bear Hunt (Kenny Wax Productions); Romeo and (The Rose Theatre); Stick Man and Tiddler (Scamp Theatre).

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 3 MICHAEL VALE BENJI BOWER Set Designer Composer Michael has designed the sets and costumes for Theatre includes: A Monster Calls (The Old Vic); over 200 theatre and opera productions both in Tom (Sadlers Wells); La Strada, Hetty Feather the UK and abroad including those he has directed. (West End/Kenny Wax); Peter Pan, Jane Eyre (Bristol Old Vic/National Theatre); The Lion, Companies he has worked with include: The Royal the Witch and the Wardrobe (West Yorkshire Shakespeare Company; The National Theatre; Playhouse); Sleeping Beauty, The Boy Who Cried The ; English National Wolf, Treasure Island, Papa Please Get the Moon Opera; Glyndebourne Festival Opera; Opera for Me, Aesop’s Fables (Bristol Old Vic); We’re North; English Touring Opera; De Vlaamse Going on a Bear Hunt (UK/World tour); Outpost, Opera, Antwerp; Los Angeles Opera; New One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Cinderella, Ali Zealand International Arts Festival; The Ibero- Baba and the Forty Thieves, Ugly Duckling (Tobacco American Theatre Festival in Bogota; Hong Factory Theatres); Orpheus and The Furies, Table Kong Academy for the Performing Arts; Galaxy of Delights (Damfino Theatre). Television includes: Theatre, Tokyo; Warsaw Globe Theatre Company; Panorama, Horizon, Countryfile, Autumnwatch Munich Biennalle; Lyric Hammersmith; The (BBC). Royal Court; ; ; Manchester Royal Exchange; Birmingham Rep.; West Yorkshire Playhouse; Sheffield Crucible; DAN CANHAM Northampton Theatre Royal; Liverpool Playhouse Movement Director and Everyman; Bolton Octagon; Nottingham Playhouse; Old Vic Bristol; Old Vic London; Dan Canham is a contemporary performance- Plymouth Theatre Royal; Royal maker and choreographer. Through his company, Lyceum; Oldham Coliseum; Manchester Library Still House, he makes socially work that Theatre; Playhouse; Salisbury Playhouse; foregrounds under-heard stories and celebrates Colchester Mercury Theatre; English Touring those performing at its heart. Theatre; The ; The ; The Sage, Gateshead; Movement director credits include: A Monster Millennium Centre; Arts Centre; Calls, (Old Vic/Bristol Old Vic), Peter Pan (National Linbury Studio Theatre; Amici Dance Company; Theatre) Jane Eyre (National Theatre/Bristol Old Fuel; Hi-Jinx; Spymonkey; Vic) The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe (West Company and , with whom he is Yorkshire Playhouse/Eliot Harper), Romeo + Juliet an Associate Idiot. () 101 Dalmatians (Tobacco Factory Theatres), Shooting with Light, Voyager His work has received one Olivier Award and been (Idle Motion) Once Upon a Time (Aga Blonksa) nominated for three further Olivier Awards; an Solo two (Tassos Stevens). Irish Times Theatre Award; a Manchester Evening News Theatre Award a Charrington Fringe First For Still House: SESSION (LIFT festival, NT Award and two Theatre Awards. Riverstage), Of Riders and Running Horses (Tbilisi Theatre Festival, Shanghai Theatre Festival, NT KATIE SYKES Riverstage, Dance Umbrella, Mayfest), 30 Cecil Street (Sadler’s Wells, PuSh Vancouver, Brisbane Costume Designer Festival), Ours Was the Fen Country (National Theatre as Set and Costume Designer includes: Theatre Shed, Dublin Dance Festival). Swallows and Amazons (York Theatre Royal); Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Two Gentlemen of Verona Performing credits include: A Matter of Life and (Shakespeare’s Globe); Hetty Feather (West Death (National Theatre), To Be Straight with End); (Rose Theatre, Kingston); You (DV8 Physical theatre) The Bacchae, Tristan Cinderella: A Fairytale, 101 Dalmatians (Tobacco and Yseult, Brief Encounter (Kneehigh Theatre) Factory); Chloe and the Colour Catcher, , Rite of Spring (Fabulous Beast/ENO), Faust World Cup 1966 (Bristol Old Vic); La Strada (punchdrunk) Agnes and Walter (Smith Dance (Coventry Belgrade); Up Down Man (Salisbury Theatre) Mother Savage (Travelling Light). Playhouse); (Mercury Colchester); Boing! (Sadler’s Wells/Unicorn); Into The West (New Victory, New York); Cloudland, How Cold My Toes, Mother Savage (UK tour). Theatre as Costume Designer includes: Jane Eyre, Peter Pan (National Theatre); Treasure Island, Sleeping Beauty (Bristol Old Vic).

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 4 AIDEEN MALONE The Passion, 's Easter Epic, Lighting Designer 100 The Day Our World Changed, set in the The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall. Theatre includes: Death of a Salesman (); Princess and the Hustler (Bristol Old Vic); Jack Lear Over the last 10 years, Mike has worked closely (Hull Truck Theatre); (Royal and with Stage Sound Services as Sound Designer Derngate); (Watford and Project Manager, working on various projects Place); A Monster Calls (Bristol Old Vic/The Old throughout Europe and the UK. Vic); East is East (Bolton Octagon); Brighton Rock (Theatre Royal York/UK Tour); Napoleon Disrobed (Theatre Royal Plymouth/Arcola); Fiddler on the DICK STRAKER Roof, The Conquest of the South Pole (Liverpool Projection Everyman); La Strada, Hetty Feather, Coyote on A Fence (West End); Jane Eyre (National Theatre/ Theatre and Opera credits include A Monster Bristol Old Vic); Peter Pan (National Theatre); Calls (Old Vic), Greek (Scottish Opera), Carmen Raisin in the Sun (UK tour); Brighton Rock (York (Grange Festival Opera), Don Juan in Soho Theatre Royal); Delirium (Barbican); Dogs Barking (Wyndhams Theatre), Aida and Andrea Chenier (Bush); Bone Room (Young Vic); The Suppliants (Opera North), Notorious (Gothenburg Opera), (Gate); (Salisbury Playhouse); and Love’s Sacrifice ( Stratford RSC), Lighten Up (Unicorn); Greed (Battersea Arts The Commission and Cafe Kafka (two operas for Centre); Turn of the Screw (); Aldeburgh and Linbury Theatre), Roots (Donmar Dialogues de Carmelites (Royal College Of Music); Warehouse), Fortunio (Grange Park Opera), On Thee We Fed (ENO Works); Imbalance, Kaash, Paper Dolls (Tricycle Theatre), Going Dark (Fuel Quimeras (Sadler’s Wells); Tete, Raft, Unkindest Theatre), Tiger Country (), Cut (UK tour). Tales of Ballycumber (Abbey Theatre Dublin), The Mountaintop (Trafalgar Studios), Rushes (Royal Ballet), The Ring Cycle (ROH), Sugar Mummies and Hitchcock Blonde (), MIKE BEER (The Barbican), Richard II (The Old Sound Designer Vic), The Woman in White (Palace Theatre London and Marquis Theatre NY), Henry V, The Coast Mike started his career at the Sherman Theatre of Utopia, Jumpers and The Powerbook (National in the late 80’s. Since then he has toured Theatre). and designed Theatre and Corporate events for many different company throughout the UK, Dick has designed for many seminal theatre, Europe, Asia and America. fashion, commercial and architectural projection events including projection design for Alexander Sound Designs include: McQueen’s Savage Beauty exhibition (V&A and Now The Hero, (Taliesin Arts) Good Omens Escape Metropolitan Museum of ). He formed the Room, Tomb Raider Live, Annabel 2 promo house company Mesmer and designs projection methods (Premier EAC), A Monster Calls (The Old Vic) and content for unusual spaces and contexts. La Strada (Kenny Wax) Eye of the Storm, A Story of Tom Jones-The Musical (TNN Productions), JESSICA ROANNE CDG Tide Whisperer, Candy Lion, Illiad, Coriolan/us, Casting Director The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning (National Theatre Wales), Sleeping Beauty, Jane Eyre, Peter Theatre includes: Lungs, , All My Pan, (Bristol Old Vic), Frankenstein (Living Spit) Sons, , SYLVIA, A Monster Sweeny Todd, (WNO), Romeo and Juliet (The Rose Calls, Mood Music, Fanny & Alexander, The Divide, Theatre), Under Milk Wood The Opera (Taliesin , Girl from the North Country Arts Centre), Legal Fictions, The Importance of (Old Vic and West End), Woyzeck, Rosencrantz Being Earnest (The Theatre Royal Bath). & Guildenstern are Dead, , , The Master Builder, Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax, The Mike was recently nominated for an Olivier Award Hairy Ape, Future Conditional (The Old Vic); for Best Sound Design for his work on A Monster Running Wild (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Calls. Love in Idleness (Menier Factory).

Mike Specialises in site specific projects working Children’s casting includes: School of Rock, The closely with National Theatre Wales, Wild Works Audience, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Walk the Plank, projects include, City of the King (Working Title), Night Out (Short) Unexpected, a project with a live audience of over 50,000 in the streets of Cardiff.

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 5 Film includes: Emma, The Kid Who Would Be King by/for children and young people and has worked (Working Title), Night Out (Short) in formal education and community settings. His practice was evaluated by Theatre Royal Plymouth in the initial testing of Arts Council ’s ABBY GALVIN 7 Quality Principles. Christopher created the Associate Casting Director PROPER Practitioner Training Course, a toolkit for Teachers and Youth Theatre Directors Assistant/Associate work for Jessica Ronane to develop their practice and achieve artistic Casting includes: excellence through participatory arts projects. Theatre: Lungs, Present Laughter, SYLVIA, A Monster Calls, Mood Music, Fanny & Alexander, Directing Credits include: Hacktivists, Deep Freeze The Divide, A Christmas Carol, Girl from the North and No Child, Hansel and Gretel, Little Criminals and Country (Old Vic and West End), Woyzeck, Divided (Warts and All Theatre), From The Ground Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, King Lear, Up and Press Go (Almeida Theatre, Shoreditch The Caretaker, The Master Builder, Dr. Seuss’s The Town Hall and Edinburgh Festival) Oliver!, Immune, Lorax, The Hairy Ape, Future Conditional (The Kontakt, Sweeney Todd, Oh No! Not Snow! and Old Vic); Running Wild (Regent’s Park Open DNA (Royal & Derngate, Northampton) Short Air Theatre); Love in Idleness (Menier Chocolate Changed, Gargantua (Theatre Royal Plymouth), Factory). Exams are Getting Easier and What the Dickens?! Film: Night Out (Short) (Birmingham ), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Little Hope (The Point, Assistant/Associate Children’s Casting includes: Eastleigh). School of Rock, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

(West End); Billy Elliot the Musical (West End/UK Christopher has worked as a Producer, Director, Tour); Matilda the Musical (West End/UK Tour); and Project Manager for many theatres across the Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith) country. He regularly delivers consultancy and training for Youth Theatre Directors. CHRISTOPHER ELMER-GORRY Since graduating 13 years ago, his work has also Outreach taken him to Calgary, Canada and Madrid in Christopher trained at East 15 Acting School and Spain. He is Artistic Director and CEO of Warts on the National Theatre Directors Course. and All Theatre which is based in Northampton. The company delivers work across the Midlands. Christopher is a specialist in creating work with/

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 6 SYNOPSIS OF A MONSTER CALLS

Thirteen year old Conor wakes from a family through war. His grandson is his only nightmare. It is 12.07am. It is the same living relative until the King marries a strange nightmare that he has had before and he woman in order to heal his grief. A year before finds it difficult to accept the images that he the Prince can legally take the throne, the keeps seeing. In the morning Conor notices King dies and so the crown goes to the Queen. that his mum hasn’t got out of bed yet and so Rumours spread that she has played magic gets himself ready for school and completes tricks in order to gain power. The Prince falls other chores. Mum arrives in the kitchen and in love with a humble farmer’s daughter and apologises for not being able to do more: her they run away. Sleeping under a large yew latest round of chemotherapy has made her tree, the Prince wakes to find the daughter extremely weak and unwell. She explains dead. The Queen is blamed for the death of that Grandma will arrive the following day to the daughter. The Prince asks for help from help, despite Conor’s insistence that they are the villagers and the Green Man. The Prince coping fine without her. manages to overpower the Queen who is condemned to burn at the stake. At the last At school, Conor encounters Harry, Anton minute the yew tree plucks the woman from and Sully who bully him. Harry and Anton are the fire and takes her to a village by the sea particularly cruel when they mention his mum where she cannot be found. and her loss. Miss Godfrey arrives just in time to see Conor’s friend Lily push Anton to Conor is shocked to hear that the Monster the floor. However, when Miss Godfrey asks has saved the woman, who has been accused Conor if Lily’s version of events is true, Conor of killing the daughter. However, the Monster denies it. He acts as if he doesn’t care when reminds him, Lily confronts him after school. ‘I never said she killed the farmer’s daughter. Conor wakes from another nightmare, again at I only said that the Prince said it was so’. 12.07am. This time the Monster speaks to him from outside the window and emerges from The Monster reminds Conor that people the yew tree. Conor insists that he is not afraid sometimes need to lie, including to themselves. of him and the Monster tells him: In some stories, and in life, there are characters who aren’t totally bad or totally good. Most ‘I do not often come walking, boy. Only for people are somewhere in between. matters of life and death. I expect to be listened to.’ At school Lily tells Conor that she forgives him for not telling Miss Godfrey the truth about The Monster pledges to tell Conor three what happened in the playground, making stories, after which Conor will tell his own allowances for what he’s going through. Conor story: his truth, which the Monster is feels increasingly isolated and that everyone convinced Conor is most afraid of. now treats him differently following his mum’s diagnosis. Harry and the boys approach to Grandma arrives and begins to talk about taunt Conor but he refuses to react even when an independent school near her house that Harry raises his fist. she thinks would be suitable for Conor, who continues to deny any need to even consider It becomes clear that Mum’s treatment is not it. It is clear to Grandma that Mum hasn’t been working as it should and so Conor must go and completely honest about the seriousness of stay with Grandma whilst his mum is back in her illness, or that Conor is refusing to face the hospital. His Dad flies in from America, where reality of possibly losing his mum. he lives with his new wife and child. As Conor hugs his mother she notices the yew tree The Monster arrives and tells his first story. outside. It involves a King, who loses all but one of his

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 7 Grandma’s house is very neat and tidy with feeling lonely and isolated. valuable antique furniture and Conor does not feel at home there. When Conor forces At school, Harry shakes Conor’s hand and tells the hands of an antique clock to 12.07, the him that he no longer sees him proceeding Monster appears once more. to ignore him completely. No longer able to cope with feeling invisible, Conor beats Story Two involves an Apothecary (the old up Harry, with the help of the Monster, and name for a chemist or someone who uses Harry ends up in hospital. Miss Godfrey tells herbs and plants to heal illness) during Conor that in his circumstances, the usual the Industrial Revolution. The Apothecary punishment of expulsion would be pointless, he becomes increasingly bitter that the new is being punished enough already. Lily writes sprawling towns and cities are making it Conor a note, which says, ‘I see you’. difficult to find the plants that he needs. He asks the Parson if he can cut down the yew Conor is collected from school by Grandma, tree that grows in his garden. The Parson who explains that Mum’s treatment is no refuses and preaches against the Apothecary’s longer working. Later that night the Monster approach to healing. Suddenly, the Parson’s tells Conor two daughters become very ill and the bark of the yew tree could potentially save them. The ‘I did not come to heal her. I came to heal Parson appeals to the Apothecary who refuses you.’ and the daughters die. The Monster tears down the parsonage and Conor helps, but he is Conor’s nightmare returns — he dreams actually destroying Grandma’s precious living that he is trying to prevent his mum falling room. When Grandma arrives home from the off a cliff but she keeps slipping away from hospital she is speechless with emotion. him. Conor admits that he just wants it all to be over but feels guilty for feeling that way. Dad tells Conor that he will not be punished, The Monster explains that the human mind as there is no point: he is dealing with more is complicated and contradictory, and that than enough. Conor goes to see Mum in Conor’s wish is simply to end the suffering and hospital. She has taken a turn for the worse. pain. She is given a new drug, made from the bark of yew trees, that she hopes will make a Collected by Grandma, Conor arrives at the difference but Dad tells Conor that this is hospital to see his mum and say goodbye, the time when he needs to be particularly shortly before 12.07am. brave. Dad then returns to America because his daughter is ill, and Conor is left once again

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 8 THEMES

FAMILY GRIEF Conor lives with his mum and is very loyal to Conor experiences a range of emotions as a her. He does not agree that sometimes they result of what is happening. He finds it difficult need help from Grandma, particularly as he to admit that he is frightened and the Monster does many of the chores himself, even though and his stories enable him to process the grief he is only thirteen. that he is feeling. This includes the emotions of anger, loneliness, fear, resentment, denial, guilt Grandma arrives to help both Mum and Conor, and sadness which are all common and normal despite Conor’s resistance and although they responses to losing a loved one. are very different to each other, they both realise that they are going to have to rely on The grief felt by Grandma is not explored as each other after Conor’s mum loses her battle much in the story, but it is clear that she is with cancer. also trying to negotiate the difficult emotions surrounding her daughter’s death. Whilst Conor’s dad now lives in America and has a Conor might deny what is really happening, new wife and baby. Conor finds it difficult to Grandma tries to be more practical, having understand why he cannot go and live with his Conor to stay at her house, visiting Mum in dad in America rather than live with Grandma. hospital and starting to make arrangements for He finds it difficult to understand why Dad’s a new school for Conor when the time comes. American family seems to take priority over him and his mum, and feels isolated and lonely. Dad is also experiencing a sense of grief, but his return to America at a crucial time suggests that he is finding it too difficult and needs to HIDDEN EMOTIONS remove himself from the situation. Many of Conor’s emotions are only shown through his nightmare which he has repeatedly after his mother is diagnosed with cancer. Only TRUTH towards the end of his mother’s life can he admit that in some ways, he just wants it all to Conor’s mum has tried to protect Conor be over so that he is no longer so frightened of from the reality of what is happening. The day what the future has in store. before she tells him about the diagnosis, she allows him a day off school to create happy, The Monster’s stories are carefully chosen fun memories. But later she is perhaps not so by him to teach Conor that emotions are truthful about what is going to happen, and difficult, and life can be cruel and complicated. both Dad and Grandma become concerned The stories also demonstrate that we all have that Conor does not completely understand good and bad inside ourselves and by sharing that at some point, he will need to go and live our nightmares with other people, we can with Grandma. understand and deal with them. Many of the characters in the Monster’s stories are adults and so Conor learns that life can be complicated regardless of age. PEOPLE ARE COMPLICATED In the stories that the Monster tells, he often includes characters who are not completely ‘good’ or totally ‘bad’. The Prince does not tell the whole truth about what happened to the farmer’s daughter, and the Apothecary and the Parson cannot or do not save the Parson’s daughters. Most people are somewhere in between good and bad.

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 9 BEREAVEMENT FRIENDSHIP Conor’s mum is terminally ill and he will have When Harry and his friends bully Conor, to say goodbye to her. He is only 13 and the they are particularly cruel about his mum and adults around him are aware that he is finding her hair loss (which has been caused by the the process very difficult — perhaps even more chemotherapy treatment she has undergone). difficult than he himself realises. It is even Lily steps in and pushes Anton to the ground. harder for Conor because he is an only child Although Conor denies the story that Lily tells and his mum is a single parent. Miss Godfrey, Lily later forgives him because she realises that he is having a very difficult Conor also finds it increasingly frustrating time. She has found it difficult to understand that he feels invisible and isolated. Since why Conor didn’t tell the teacher the truth other people have found out about his about the bullying but after speaking to her mum’s diagnosis, they have begun to treat own mum, she realises that he is experiencing him differently, including being extremely some very difficult emotions. unkind. Conor experiences some very difficult emotions about the way in which people now view him because of what is happening to his mum.

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 10 AN INTERVIEW WITH BENJI BOWER, COMPOSER

Benji Bower, composer, explains how he has a palate of sound to compose with. Therefore created the soundtrack for A Monster Calls. many of the sounds you will hear come from the yew but it won’t sound like the sound of a My starting point for this show was the feeling I tree as you might expect it to. got from the Patrick Ness’ book. When reading it for the first time it affected me deeply and We also set up the idea of the nightmare being still does whenever I read it. A lot of people very dark and fractured, unrecognisable and nowadays have been affected by cancer and backwards. This has led to a sound design that illness in families and so it was easy to tap into I have been creating with lots of glitches and Conor’s heartache. jumps to accent the nightmare feeling.

For me, whenever writing music it has to come Much of my palette of sounds comes from the from deep within. It has to mean something tree. On this show we are using a lot of synths, to me first and then hopefully that will come subs and electronic instruments. Something through to others. I think a lot in images: the one could try when creating sound for a book is very filmic and so it provided many of production is to record some natural sounds those images for me. The illustrations were so and try and find the music within them. If you wonderfully dark, too. have access to a computer or FX processor, try and change the sound to something Sally, the director, was very clear from the start unrecognisable. that we should not sentimentalise the mother’s illness. With music it is so easy to spoon feed The advice I’d give to students who are creating people specific emotions so it was good to their own sound ideas for an adaptation or know what we needed to avoid to fit with Sally’s original devised piece of theatre is that being in vision and intention. contact with your director is really important; as is having an understanding of the feeling To develop the sounds that will be important that comes from the book or whatever you for the creation of mood and atmosphere, I are using as a stimulus. I think if you can really actually went to record a yew tree in deepest connect with the content this will help the West Wales. In fact it is one of the only music and sound process. bleeding yews in Europe (it bleeds red sap). I have taken some of the sounds and processed/ Working out the boundaries of your sound morphed/effected/distorted the sound to make world before you start is also important.

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 11 For example, what’s the style and genre? Does actors utilises all of these approaches. We it need to be associated with a particular place? normally do a Research and Development week For example, is it latin music etc.? This might before we start a project, but when devising a help create your instrumentation. Depending show, collaboration is key to the process. on whether it is a recorded soundtrack or live performance, how many musicians do you have I normally get the word from Sally what our to work with? next show is and that then excites me into writing music which then I in the rehearsal All of these factors will limit or enhance your room and we see where our musical world will compositions and sounds. sit. Sometimes I will improvise and then I go In rehearsal, I sometimes simply observe what back and write, or I write on the spot. It can is being staged, and other times I will workshop be very scary at times but sometimes the best and experiment with ideas with the performers. things come from improvising and playing I then go away and write/design the sound around. — collaborating with directors, designers and

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 12 CHARACTERS

CONOR O’MALLEY A thirteen year old boy who lives with his mother.

MUM Conor’s mother, who is divorced. She has been diagnosed with cancer and is receiving chemotherapy and other hospital treatment.

GRANDMA Conor’s maternal grandmother.

MONSTER/YEW TREE The yew tree, which is centuries old and visible through Conor’s window. The Monster emerges from the tree.

HARRY, ANTON & SALLY Three students who bully Conor at school.

LILY Conor’s school friend who steps in when Harry and his friends threaten Conor.

DAD Conor’s dad, who has moved to America and remarried. He has another child with his new wife.

MISS GODFREY A teacher at Conor’s school.

MR MARL A teacher at Conor’s school.

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 13 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

These activities can be adapted for Key Stage 2 and 3 students, as well as being extended to aid further exploration for Key Stage 4 and 5.

WARM UPS WORKING AS A TEAM ÜÜ Moving around the room at a brisk walk (perhaps to the rhythm of some upbeat music), swing your arms and have a slight bounce in your step. Listen carefully to your teacher or workshop leader who will have the following instructions to choose from:

͹͹ Stop ͹͹ Go ͹͹ Tall (make yourself as tall as you possibly can, on the spot) ͹͹ Small (make yourself as small as you can, which may involve lying down on the floor in a tiny ball) ͹͹ Clap (clap once and then carry on walking) ͹͹ Jump (jump once and then carry on walking) ͹͹ Hide (standing still, imagining that you are trying to avoid being seen by someone you don’t want to see you)

Once you have had a few trial runs, aim to be totally synchronised with the rest of the group on each command. Anyone out of time might be ‘out’.

ÜÜ To make the game more difficult, your leader might reverse the instructions to their opposite or equivalent. Meaning that:

͹͹ Stop means go, go means stop ͹͹ Tall means small, and small means tall ͹͹ A clap is a jump and a jump is a clap ͹͹ Clap (clap once and then carry on walking) ͹͹ Hide means that you have to make yourself as large as possible in so that there’s no way you can’t be noticed.

Again, after some practice, anyone doing the wrong move or being out of time has to leave the game.

You might even like to create some new instructions for your leader to use. Your aim is always to be working in complete cooperation with the rest of the group, working as an ensemble.

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 14 CREATING A WHOLE GROUP DYNAMIC Stand in a space in the room. Try and balance the space between you and everyone around you — where are the gaps? Begin to walk around the room at a steady pace and aim to match the timing of everyone else. Remember to change direction and be aware of the different patterns your route is making across the space.

Now start to make eye contact with the people around you-smile, too! By making eye contact, you’re tuning into the atmosphere and dynamic in the room. When your teacher or workshop leader counts down from four to one, you have a decision to make. Either stop, OR be the only one who continues walking. It may take a few tries to make it happen but the aim is to have an ensemble who are so in tune with each other that they can make this happen.

If you are an older group, you could also experiment with walking at a brisk pace and then, as an ensemble, beginning to slow down, stop, and sit on the floor. Without speaking, you can then try and get up and gradually increase the pace of walking again. All of this is possible without one person leading the ensemble. Instead, it simply relies on complete concentration and an ability to pay attention to the people and the space around you.

USING OUR BODIES TO MAKE OBJECTS ÜÜ Find a space in the room and stand in it. When your teacher or group leader tells you to, start moving around the space. After a while, they will shout . You need to get into a group of that number, and with your bodies create the objects you’re given. You only have 10 seconds to do each one and the leader of the game will count down from 10 to 1, at which point you have to freeze in position.

͹͹ Groups of 2: A knife and fork ͹͹ Groups of 3: Chair and table ͹͹ Groups of 4: A car ͹͹ Groups of 5: A washing machine ͹͹ Groups of 6: The Eiffel Tower ͹͹ Groups of 7: A toaster, with pop up toast ͹͹ Groups of 8: (tower and clock, with sound effect of the bells) ͹͹ Groups of 9: Santa’s Sleigh ͹͹ Whole group: A pirate’s ship

SOUNDSCAPE A soundscape is the use of sounds which are combined to create mood and atmosphere. Although music is sometimes used, there is often no melody, instead there are a series of sounds which combine.

For example, a churchyard at night might include the sounds of:

͹͹ Owls hooting ͹͹ Wind through the trees, including a yew tree ͹͹ Clocks chiming the hour ͹͹ Rain ͹͹ Animals searching for food

If you want to create a spooky churchyard, then you could include:

͹͹ A creaking gate ͹͹ Ravens calling to each other ͹͹ Crunching gravel

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 15 ÜÜ Composer, Benji Bower, has used the recording of the sound of a real tree and then used synthesizers and computer software to manipulate it for A Monster Calls. However, how can you use your body, the floor, your voice (but not words) and the texture of your clothes to create a soundscape?

ÜÜ You could also try this with the text below, using found objects. This can be items you find in the classroom or studio, or objects you’ve brought in from home, ranging from a pine cone, to a saucepan lid, sticks, jars etc.

ÜÜ Using Extract 1, look at the idea that Adam Peck (Writer in the Room) had for the opening nightmare in the play. How can you create it with your own ideas and found objects?

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 16 EXTRACT 1 Thud. Conor falls on hands and feet on forest floor. Atmosphere of place: whistling wind, cliff edge,

CONOR ‘Mum’. ‘You have to get out of here.’

Heavy feeling (1).

Dragging

CONOR ‘Mum, you have to run.’

Dragging. Atmosphere.

MUM ‘I’m fine, darling. There’s nothing to worry about.’

Increased tension. Heavy noise. Dragging?

CONOR ‘Mum, run! Please run!’

Rumbling, booming — sound of the dark monster down below; a thing bigger than the world climbing the cliff-face.

MUM ‘But darling, there’s-‘ ‘No!’

Heavy feeling.

CONOR ‘Mum.’

Invisible weight. Roar, burning cloud of darkness, pressing down.

MUM ‘Conor?’

Hovering fists. Violent pounce, grabbing, pulling. Thud. Conor is released. Running, panting, throwing himself, reaching, pulling. Catching, holding on.

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 17 ENSEMBLE STORYTELLING: PHYSICAL AND VOCAL TELLING STORY TWO ÜÜ In groups of five or six, you are going to tell the story that the Monster tells Conor as his SECOND STORY. For each bullet point, create one tableau (or allocate different tableaux to different groups to reduce the number each group has to create). If you aren’t one of the characters in the scene, perhaps you can find a way to become furniture or scenery to give the audience more information. Make sure you choose something you can do for a few seconds without wobbling.

͹͹ A King is sad because his Kingdom has been ravaged by war ͹͹ The King looks at his baby grandson who is now his only relative ͹͹ The King marries a mysterious woman to try and heal his grief ͹͹ The King dies and the Queen takes the crown because the Prince is not yet old enough to become King ͹͹ The Prince falls in love with a farmer’s daughter and they run away together to escape from the Queen who wants to marry the Prince herself ͹͹ Waking up under a yew tree where they rested for the night, the Prince finds the farmer’s daughter dead ͹͹ The Prince tells villagers that the Queen has killed his beloved and must be punished ͹͹ The villagers storm the castle and take the Queen to be burned at the stake ͹͹ At the last minute the yew tree rescues the Queen and takes her far away from harm ͹͹ The Prince admits that it was him who killed the farmer’s daughter to make it look like the Queen had done it. By making the villagers angry, he knew that he would have their help to overthrow her, which he would not have been able to do by himself

ÜÜ Once you have created these tableaux, focus on the text from Story Two using Extract 2.

ÜÜ One of the challenges in the rehearsal room has been making this story convincing through the use of ensemble and physical storytelling. As well as playing the different characters, the ensemble must create a sense of location, and perhaps create a soundscape too, in order to create mood and atmosphere for the audience.

ÜÜ Decide how the ensemble will tell the story. Will one person say all of the text? Perhaps people will take turns to deliver certain lines, or speak as a chorus? Are there words that you think everybody should say together?

ÜÜ Experiment with combining this text with some of your tableau as appropriate. Once you are happy with this, move on to another part of Story Two and create your own text, using the bullet points to help you.

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 18 EXTRACT 2 If they found him, they would see the knife and the blood, and they would call him a murderer. They would put him to death for his crime. And the Queen would be able to rule unchallenged. There was nowhere for the Prince to run. His horse had been chased away while he slept. The yew tree was his only shelter. And also the only place he could turn for help. Now, the world was younger then. The barrier between things was thinner, easier to pass through. The Prince knew this. And he lifted his head to the great yew tree and he spoke.

He said enough to bring me walking. I know injustice when I see it. The prince ran towards the approaching villagers.

PRINCE (To VILLAGERS) ‘The queen has murdered my bride! The queen must be stopped!’

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 19 CREATING A FEAR–MONSTER Many people are scared of things. Sometimes, being able to imagine the thing that we fear as some kind of creature can help us reduce our fear. Giving our fear a name or drawing a funny picture of it can also help.

͹͹ Dad telling Conor that he’s moving to America ͹͹ Mum taking Conor for a special day out the day before she tells him of her diagnosis ͹͹ The conversation between Lily and Miss Godfrey after Lily hits Anton ͹͹ Lily’s parents talking to her about what has happened to Conor and his mum ͹͹ Dad and Grandma arguing about telling Conor more information than his mum has about her condition and prognosis

QUESTIONS FOR OLDER STUDENTS TO DISCUSS Many people are scared of things. Sometimes, being able to imagine the thing that we fear as some kind of creature can help us reduce our fear. Giving our fear a name or drawing a funny picture of it can also help.

ÜÜ How long did Mum know her diagnosis before she shared it with Conor/Grandma/Dad?

ÜÜ How long has Dad lived in America? What caused the divorce? Has Mum met Dad’s new wife?

ÜÜ Before Mum’s diagnosis, what was her relationship with Grandma like?

ÜÜ What job did Mum have before her illness? What was their daily or weekly routine?

ÜÜ If Mum was to write a letter to Conor, what would she say?

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 20 ASKING QUESTIONS AND IMPROVISING SCENES Books can often go into a lot of descriptive detail about events that we don’t necessarily need to show on stage. However, it can be helpful to discuss or improvise scenes that aren’t in the final version of the play in order to inform our performance.

ÜÜ In groups of four, discuss what things people tend to be frightened of. This doesn’t need to be your own fear, but common fears involve getting lost in crowds, losing something precious, the dark, flying, or failing tests. Choose one of those things.

ÜÜ Once your group has decided which fear to physicalise, experiment with ways of showing that fear visually. Shape, levels, angles, contact between different people, eye contact with the audience, making claws etc are all ways that you can show your fear-monster to the people watching.

ÜÜ Now that you have created a shape for the fear-monster, consider how it moves. If your fear is the dark, do you think the movement might be quite slow because darkness makes it difficult to see? If birds or small animals are the fear, perhaps hand gestures towards the audience’s faces might be an effective motion? Walk from one side of the room to the other, maintaining the shape of your fear-monster as you do so.

ÜÜ To make your fear-monster even more convincing, you now need to create a sound that your monster makes. Does it use real words, or gibberish? Is it loud or quiet? Perhaps non-verbal sounds like sniffing, growling or barking might be more effective?

ÜÜ Finally: you now need to imagine creating a product or antidote to your fear-monster. For example, a spray that allows you to see in the dark if you don’t have a light or a torch. In your group, create a TV advert for that product. Alternatively, how about creating an advert or interview which explains to people how to deal with their fear?

ÜÜ Share your fear-monsters and adverts with the rest of your class or group.

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 21 EXTRACT 3 21. American’s Don’t Get Much Holiday

DAD ‘Doesn’t look like your grandma’s home yet.’

CONOR ‘She sometimes goes back to the hospital after I go to bed. The nurses let her sleep in a chair.’

DAD ‘She may not like me, but that doesn’t mean she’s a bad lady.’

CONOR ‘How long are you here for?’

DAD ‘Just a few days, I’m afraid.’

CONOR ‘That’s all?’

DAD ‘Americans don’t get much holiday.’

CONOR ‘You’re not American.’

DAD ‘But I live there now. You’re the one who made fun of my accent all night.’

CONOR ‘Why did you come then? Why bother coming at all?’

DAD ‘I came -because your mum asked me to. I’ll come back, though. You know, when I need to. (Beat) And you’ll visit us at Christmas! That’ll be good fun.’

CONOR ‘In your cramped house where there’s no room for me. And then I’ll come back here for school.’

‘Why did you come?’

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 22 PORTRAYING GRIEF AND LOSS

‘Stories are important. Stories can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth.’ Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls

Traditional theatre once insisted that theatre for children should be gentle, fun and without challenge. An annual trip to a pantomime, for example, allows children to join in a fairy-tale world in which the worst mishap is a custard pie in the face or a slapstick encounter with a ladder. However, contemporary theatre has become more understanding of the needs of children and young audiences, and aware of the importance of exploring difficult and challenging subject matter.

In A Monster Calls, the reader often responds viscerally to Conor’s loss and his refusal to fully confront the truth that he will soon lose his mother. Patrick Ness, in the original novel, says, ‘Stories are wild creatures. When you let them loose who knows what havoc they might wreak?’ and some people may suggest that this is exactly the reason why challenging subject matter such as bereavement should not be staged for young audiences.

Children’s books, however, frequently present difficult subject matter. From Roald Dahl to JK Rowling, we are constantly confronted with orphans, neglectful parents and even murderers but the written word can sometimes seem less threatening than live theatre in which the reality of such issues can hit hard. However, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child now runs in the West End and on Broadway and it too provides powerful reminders of our own mortality and the importance of family, loyalty and acceptance of emotions and conflict.

In 2005, directed at the National Theatre. ’s adaptation of ’s novel deliberately retained the dark elements of child slavery, illegitimate pregnancy and even infanticide. Some critics claimed that the production, which also played on Broadway and has since been performed at the Bristol Old Vic, was too graphic for the younger end of the target audience but Melly Still responded at the time, ‘Theatre is a place where you can deal with big scary things and show that, without the pain and the death, our experience of joy and life is not so vivid. I’m steeped in that from a fairy-tale tradition and I believe it very strongly.’ 2 Coram Boy is not a story without hope. The death of Meshak at the hands of Otis, the fraudulent ‘Coram Man’, leads to other children being reunited with parents, or finally finding someone who will love them as their own. Likewise, in A Monster Calls, Patrick Ness reminds us that Conor’s mum has actually helped him develop skills that will, in time, help him to cope.

Laura Wade’s Alice also explores the grief of a young teenager in a modern version of Alice in Wonderland. Alice chooses to escape the platitudinous guests following the funeral of her brother Joe who has been killed by a drunk driver. Consumed by her own grief, Alice’s mother has no time for Alice and both characters turn up in Wonderland as the Queen of Hearts and the Knave respectively. Lyndsey Turner’s 2010 production at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre included a tea party that mocked and subverted the funeral wake, a televised croquet tournament highlights her lack of privacy and the Caterpillar’s Border Control asked Alice about her ‘emotional baggage’. Like Conor, Alice feels isolated and patronised as all thoughts have turned to the dead sibling instead of her.

In her 2013 article Why Children’s Theatre Matters3 Lyn Gardner wrote, ‘Theatre, particularly theatre for children, fires the imagination, it gives our children the skills and the creativity necessary to face the world, to understand it and perhaps to change it too’.

2 Patrick Ness in A Monster Calls

3 The Guardian: Down the rabbit hole theguardian.com/stage/2006/nov/22/theatre1

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 23 Alice, Coram Boy and A Monster Calls also encourage young audiences to engage their imagination through the non-naturalistic style of both performance and design.

Coram Boy’s forest, for example, was created by the wailing song of grieving mothers stood scattered on stage representing trees. Much of was left bare to allow for the larger ensemble scenes, and used aerial work to create a spectacular climactic underwater scene towards the end of the play. A Monster Calls utilises similar methods to create a yew tree, a monster and more besides.

In A Monster Calls, the minimal set and aerial work encourages the audience to ‘fill in’ many of the gaps and process the content simultaneously. Sally Cookson says, ‘That’s what I like doing when I’m in an audience. I don’t like to be fed every idea and be told what I’m meant to be feeling in every single moment. I am always trying to offer up different interpretations. Each person who sees it will take something different from it.’ Like A Monster Calls, Coram Boy used soundscape and an original soundtrack (by Adrian Sutton) as an integral part of the storytelling palette, combined with the music of Handel who also features as a character in the play. The use of ensemble and multi-roling relies on the audience’s ability to suspend their disbelief and one could argue that in developing theatrical literacy we are also enabling our audiences to also develop emotional literacy through the themes and ideas to which we expose them.

The domestic setting of A Monster Calls makes it closer to our own 21st century reality than the 18th century Coram Boy and the idiosyncratic Wonderland for Alice. However, Michael Vale’s set design demands just as much investment for the audience. There is very little furniture on set, and so the ensemble must bring characters and settings to life through movement and storytelling techniques.

Live theatre enables audiences to explore and engage with challenging issues because it gives them the imagination and creativity to do so in a safe place. Just as we find in grief and sadness, theatre also allows all of us to experience joy and happiness and the ability to navigate a way through the complexity and contradiction of life.

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 24 GLOSSARY

AMPLIFICATION The use of equipment such as microphones and PA systems to amplify sound. ENSEMBLE A group of performers who work together to tell a story.

GESTURE A universally understood action such as shaking hands, nodding or shaking your head. PHYSICALITY Use of the body to tell a story or create a story.

SYNCHRONISED When two or more people do something in exactly the same way and at exactly at the same time.

PITCH How high or low a sound is (particularly voice).

PROJECTION The use of support in one’s chest, abdomen and diaphragm to ensure that the voice is heard clearly.

REVERBERATION An extended sound which appears to make things shake.

SOUNDSCAPE A combination of sounds, created by performers or instruments to create mood and atmosphere.

TABLEAU Also known as a freeze frame or still image, where performers create one image, or several (tableaux).

RESEARCH A period of days or weeks in which a director, designer AND DEVELOPMENT and a number of actors experiment and explore different ways of telling a story.

During this period, writers, academics, historians and other experts may also contribute to discussions to ensure accuracy in subject matter.

MULTI-ROLING When an actor plays more than one character in the same production.

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 25 BIBLIOGRAPHY, FURTHER READING AND MEDIA

BIBLIOGRAPHY Coram Boy by Helen Edmundson and based on the novel by Jamila Gavin, 2005. Nick Hern Books.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd, 2015. Walker Books.

With The End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial by Kathryn Mannix, 2017. William Collins.

Alice by , 2010. Oberon Books.

WEBSITES BBC Radio 4: Mothers and Sons Interview: Lauren Laverne and Patrick Ness .co.uk/programmes/b09v0xhw

Complicité: Grief is the Thing with Feathers complicite.org/productions/GriefIsTheThingWithFeathers

The Guardian: Grief is the Thing With Feathers Review: takes wing theguardian.com/stage/2018/mar/22/grief-is-the-thing-with-feathers-review-black-box-galway- cillian-murphy-endawalsh

The Guardian: Finding Narnia: Sally Cookson on the real trauma in CS Lewis’s fantasy theguardian.com/stage/2017/nov/22/narnia-sally-cookson-cs-lewis-lion-witch-wardrobe

The Guardian: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe review: Sally Cookson conjures magic of make-believe theguardian.com/stage/2017/dec/07/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe-review-sally- cookson- west-yorkshire-playhouse

Exeunt Magazine: Sally Cookson: ‘Get the golden axe out and kill your darlings’ exeuntmagazine.com/features/sally-cookson-get-the-golden-axe-out-and-kill-your-darlings/

The Guardian: How I made Wendy the real star of Peter Pan theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/nov/19/captain-hook-peter-pan-sally-cookson-national- theatre

Bristol Old Vic: A Monster Calls bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/a-monster-calls

The Guardian: Down the rabbit hole theguardian.com/stage/2006/nov/22/theatre1

The Guardian: Why children’s theatre matters theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2013/oct/23/why-childrens-theatre-matters

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 26 The Guardian: Theatre should usher children into the real world theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2008/nov/17/theatre

The Stage: The Many Doors of Frank Feelbad review at Pleasance Kids, Edinburgh thestage.co.uk/reviews/2016/the-many-doors-of-frank-feelbad-review-at-pleasance-kids- edinburgh- courageous-and-meaningful/

SITI: Training siti.org/training

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 27 SUPPORT

‘If you speak the truth, you will be able to face whatever comes.’ A Monster Calls

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this production and would like to speak with someone in confidence, the following services offering help and advice are available:

KOOTH XenZone is a provider of online mental health services for children, Kooth.com young people and adults. Kooth, from XenZone, is an online counselling and emotional well-being platform for children and young people, accessible through mobile, tablet and desktop and free at the point of use. Please note that Kooth is not currently a UK wide service. Please visit the website for more information.

MACMILLAN Macmillan Cancer Support is one of the largest British charities, CANCER SUPPORT providing specialist health care, information and financial support to macmillan.org.uk people affected by cancer. 0808 808 00 00

MARIE CURIE Marie Curie is a registered charity that provides care and support mariecurie.org.uk for people living with any terminal illness, and their families. 0800 090 2309

MIND Mind offers information and advice to people with mental health mind.org.uk problems and lobbies government and local authorities on their 0300 123 3393 behalf.

SAMARITANS Samaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing support to samaritans.org anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide 116 123 throughout the UK and in Ireland.

CHILDLINE Childline is a counselling service for children and young people childline.org.uk up to the age of 19 that deals with any issues that cause personal 0800 1111 distress or concern.

CHILD Child Bereavement UK supports families and educates BEREAVEMENT UK professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or childbereavement.org when a child is facing bereavement. 0800 02 888 40

A MONSTER CALLS TEACHING RESOURCE PACK 28